Mailing container



July 13, 1965 e. BLUMBERG MAILING CONTAINER Filed July 29, 1963 r-fi4 w Q5 m m M F MW. r 5 M United States Patent 3,194,477 MAILING CONTAINER Gladys Blumberg, 13519 223rd St., Laurelton, N.Y. Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,139 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates to a mailing container and refers more particularly to a mailing container for shipping small articles such as jewelry items and for shipping fragile articles such as bottled perfume, glassware, etc.

Small mailing containers are used in larger quantities for shipping by mail various types of articles such as jewelry and small bottles. Thus, it is desirable that these mailing containers be easily and cheaply produced while at the same time being sturdy in construction and secure in use.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a mailing container which may be made from a one-piece blank.

Another object is to provide a mailing container of sturdy construction.

Still another object is to provide a mailing container which is secure in use and not easily or accidentally opened.

A further object is to provide a mailing container which is inexpensive to make and easy to assemble.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

The aforementioned objectives of the present invention may be achieved by providing a mailing container which is made from a one-piece blank of cardboard or like material. The blank is provided with appropriate fold lines defining top, bottom, side and end portions which permit the blank to be folded into a generally rectangular boxlike shape. One side portion is provided with a closure flap with projecting tongues which may engage slits in the top of the container for securely closing it.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which a mailing container is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a mailing container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the container being shown in an open position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the mailing container in a closed position, the closure flap being shown in an inoperative condition.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the container.

FIGURES 5 to 8 are sectional views as taken, respectively, along the lines VV, VIVI, VII-VII and VIII-VIII of FIGURE 4.

Throughout the specification, like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings, the mailing container 10 of the present invention has a gen erally rectangular, box-like shape. The container is preferably made from a one-piece blank 11 of cardboard or other suitable material, the blank having the configuration shown in FIGURE 1. The foregoing facilitates fabrication of the container and permits the shipment of 3,194, 17.? Patented July 13, 1965 blanks to users who may then fabricate containers as required.

Referring now in more detail to FIGURE 1, the blank 11 contains a number of integral flat portions which define a top panel 12, a bottom panel 13, a front panel 14, an inner rear panel 15, an outer rear panel 16, inner end panels 17 and 18, outer end panels 19 and 2t), gusset flaps 21 and 22, slits 23 and 24 in the top panel, a closure flap 25 and tongues 26 and 2'7 integral with the closure flap. Each of the foregoing elements is connected with one or more adjacent elements by means of fold lines which are identical with the marginal extremities of the elements. Thus inner rear panel 15 is joined with top panel 12 along their common marginal fold line 28. Likewise, inner end panel 18 is joined with top panel 12 along fold line 29 and so on. The fold lines are, of course, provided to permit the various elements to be folded to appropriate positions relatively to each other to form the box-shaped structure of the container 10.

To transform the blank 11 shown in FIGURE 1 into the rigid box structure 10 shown in FIGURES 2 to 8, the various elements are folded as particularly shown in FIG- URE 2. Thus the edges 30 and 31 of inner end panel 13 and inner rear panel 15 are firmly connected together by means of adhesive or a piece of adhesive tape 38 (FIG. 2). Likewise edges 32 and 33 of inner end panel 18 and inner rear panel 15 are connected together, edges 34 and 35 of outer end panel 19 and outer rear panel 16, respectively, are connected together, and edges 37 and 36 of outer rear panel 16 and outer end panel 2%, respectively, are connected together. The resulting structure of the container 10 is as shown in FIGURE 2, the container being in an open position. Furthermore, gusset flaps 21 and 22 are turned inwardly of outer end panels 19 and 20, respectively, and act to give support to the front of the box structure.- By swinging the top 12, inner end panels 17 and 18 and inner rear panel 15 in the direction of the bottom panel 13 from the open position shown in FIGURE 2, the container may be closed, the latter condition being shown in FIGURE 3. In this condition, the inner end panels 17 and 18 will nest inwardly of and alongside outer end panels 19 and 20, inner rear panel 15 will be located inwardly of and alongside outer rear apnel 16 and gusset flaps 21 and 22 will lie inwardly of and parallel with front panel 14. The foregoing is readily apparent from FIGURES 5 through 8.

To then secure or lock the top portion of the container to the bottom thereof, closure fiap 25 is folded flat against top panel 12 with the tongues 26 and 27 passing through the slits 23 and 24, respectively, in the top panel. The container 10 is now in a secured closed position and may be used for mailing small articles. The container structure is substantially rigid in character and thus provides protection for the articles during handling.

While there is above disclosed but one embodiment of the container, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. A mailing container formed from a single blank of material and comprising a rectangular bottom panel having a front edge, a rear edge and two side edges, a rectangular front panel integral with said front edge and extending perpendicularly to the bottom panel, a top panel aligned with said bottom panel and integral with an edge of said front panel, an inner rear panel aligned with said front panel and integral with the rear edge of the top panel, a rectangular outer rear panel integral with the rear edge of the bottom panel and extending over said inner rear panel when the container is closed, two aligned inner end panels integral with a portion of the side edges of the top panel and extending perpendicularly to the top panel from said inner rear panel toward said front panel but being spaced from said front panel, two rectangular outer end panels extending from said outer rear panel to said front panel and covering said inner end panels, two opposed gusset flaps integral with said outer end panels and extending perpendicularly thereto and over portions of said front panel, a closure flap integral with an edge of said outer rear panel and extending over a portion of said top panel, and at least one tongue integral with said closure flap and fitting into a slit formed substantially in the middle of said top panel.

4- 2. A container in accordance with claim 1, comprising a plurality of symmetrically disposed flaps fitting into corresponding slits formed substantially in the middle of said top panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,175,835 3/16 Streit 229-40 1,420,001 6/22 Wagner 229-30 X 1,502,051 7/24 Morris 229-30 X 2,197,152 4/40 Mason 229-40 2,285,991 6/42 Lester 229-40 X 2,522,049 9/50 Lang .a 229-36 2,885,842 5/5 9 Boitel 229-40 X 3,035,756 5/62 Mullinix 229-40 X GEORGE O. RALSTON', Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAILING CONTAINER FORMED FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF MATERIAL AND COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BOTTOM PANEL HAVING A FRONT EDGE, A REAR EDGE AND TWO SIDE EDGES, A RECTANGULAR FRONT PANEL INTEGRAL WITH SAID FRONT EDGE AND EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE BOTTOM PANEL, A TOP PANEL ALIGNED WITH SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND INTEGRAL WITH AN EDGE OF SAID FRONT PANEL, AN INNER REAR PANEL ALIGNED WITH SAID FRONT PANEL AND INTEGRAL WITH THE REAR EDGE OF THE TOP PANEL, A RECTANGULAR OUTER REAR PANEL INTEGRAL WITH THE REAR EDGE OF THE BOTTOM PANEL AND EXTENDING OVER SAID INNER REAR PANEL WHEN THE CONTAINER IS CLOSED, TWO ALIGNED INNER END PANELS INTEGRAL WITH A PORTION OF THE SIDE EDGES OF THE TOP PANEL AND EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE TOP PANEL FROM SAID INNER REAR PANEL TOWARD SAID FRONT PANEL BUT BEING SPACEDF FROM SAID FRONT PANEL, TWO RECTANGULAR OUTER END PANELS EXTENDING FROM SAID OUTER REAR PANEL TO SAID FRONT PANEL AND COVERING SAID INNER END PANELS, TWO OPPOSED GUSSET FLAPS INTEGRAL WITH SAID OUTER END PANELS AND EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY THERETO AND OVER PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT PANEL, A CLOSURE FLAP INTEGRAL WITH AN EDGE OF SAID TOP PANEL, AND AT LEAST ONE TONGUE INTEGRAL WITH SZID CLOSURE FLAP AND FITTING INTO A SLIT FORMED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF SAID TOP PANEL. 